NO SETTLEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 768, 17 March 1910, Page 5

NO SETTLEMENT.

HOTEL-WORKERS' DISPUTE.

TO GO TO THE COURT.

REEEKENCE TO THE LOCAL OPTION POLLS.

The adjourned meeting of the Conciliation Council on the hotel-workers' case, which was held yesterday morning, did not result in any arrangement of the points in dispute, and the whole matter will, therefore, go before the Arbitration Court. Mr. P. Hally (Conciliation Commissioner) presided at the meeting, and the assessors were: Messrs. MTParland, Dwyer, and Boveridge, for the employers, and Messrs. E. J. Carey, E. Marks, and T. Helyer, for the employees. Mr. T. Long, of Auckland, was also present on behalf of the workers.

The commissioner referred to the fact that at the last meeting a number of points were agreed upon, though the main, questions of hours, wages, and preference were still unsettled. The employers' representatives had for an oppop* tunity of ' conferring with the "trade" •, on these points. He, therefore, asked Mr. Beveridge to state the' result of the conference. The "Trade" Gives Reasons. • Mr. Beveridge said that when the issues were- placed before the executive of the Licensed Victuallers' Association and other members of the "trade," it was at once apparent that not one-third of them would agree to.the union's demands as to wages, hours, and preference to unionists. - The whole matter was dißcussed at 'considerable length, and very thoroughly gone into, and- he had to state that the "trade" could not see its way. to accept any of the demands set.' forth. Mr. Beveridge then read a printed statement giving the reasons for this decision,, as follows:—

_ "The conditions of the 'trade' have not in any way altered since the 1907 award was made; or, if they have altered, it has been to the detriment of the /trade/' The falling-off in' returns during the past twelve months has been seriously felt. The outlook for the future presents'no better prospects. "When the 1907 award was made trade was exceedingly prosperous. "The present condition and future outlook of the trade 'dp ; not in any way warrant any increase, in wages, reduc-. tioii m hours of 1 work, or further restrictions in working conditions. "The 1907 award conferred material benefits upon the workers, both with regard to substantial increases in wages and reductions in working hours. These conditions, coupled with the present state of trade, have placed sucli heavy burdens upon employers as to warrant them in asking for substantial'relief. "No agreement or award will b» satisfactory to the employers unless provision is made for the working of overtime over and above, the hours specified in' Clause 4 of the present award, and to give_the court power to review the award' in. the event of legislation being passed which affects the conditions of work.-'

"That as the union is pledged by ita. objects to strive for a six-day week ; of ' 48 hours for all male workers, and a sixday .week! of' 42 hours for.' all female workers in the trade, and as' such would mean the ruin, of every employer engaged in the business, and 'any agreement arrived at could only be of a temporary character, the employers cannot see their way to assist in bringing about such an undesirable state of affairs." An Ultimatum. Proceeding,.Mr. Beveridge said that if, as they had been given to understand, the workers'- demands were the irreduc-, iblq _ minimum, it was useless, in the: opinion of those, he represented, to dis-' cuss the issues any further. .The "trade". ;as d'whole felt that the' 'demands were! unwarrantable' and unjustifiable. Cons&-. : quentlyy the matter must go before the Arbitration Court; The employees -had ■' implicit' confidence in that tribunal. The Commissioner: That is your ultimatum? Mr. Beveridge: That is our ultimatum. "Surprised." The Commissioner asked Sir. Lang wha± he had to say. about it . . Mr. Long said he was surprised that the : employers would not grant the workers' demands. He had expected, when the : Council last adjourned, that' an honest attempt would be made to settle the dispute. The reference to a "tern-.-porary" agreement was mere by-play. Itwas the duty of the Conciliation' Council as such to arrive.'at a settlement of the, dispute, and the attitude taken up by the representatives of the employers was not in accordance with.the cleaily-ex-pressed intention of the Conciliation and Industrial. Arbitration Act. They were ' making no attempt at conciliation; they, merely declined to discuss the matter any further and said: "We are going to th« Court." The consequence would be, if. the matter went to the Court, a repetition of the old-time, bitterness. A genuine effort to settle the dispute ought to have been' made. It was useless for workers and employers to be always bickering.

The Local Option Polls. Seeing that .the "trade" relied upon the workers at the local option poll,'this was an unjustifiable attitude for the employers to take up. He would draw the attention of. the Court to the way'in employers'had set about.to.defeat the ends of the Conciliation Council. There would be such a howl throughout the length and breadth of the country that the' hotelkeepers would be sorry for the way they had acted. . , Sir. Beveridge: These are threats. You mean that you will remember this at | the polls. If that is what you mean,'then' tha sooner we know where we. are the better. Yon are asking the hotel employees to vote against their owi) living. How can you ask us to be conciliatory? We have given you our reasons why we are; asking far the maintenance of the present award. Since that award was made we have had a very bad time, and even how, the outlook is not too bright. But 011 top of that you asked 100 per cent, increase in wages and shorter hours. These demands were certainly modified afterwards, but you are still asking for a very large increase of pay and shorter, hours; If the conditions were fair when the award was mado and trade was prospering, they should be fair enough to-day while .times are bad. Statement by the Commissioner. The ■ Commissioner: There were a number of points you did agree upon? Mr. Beveridge: Yes, but a large number of the employers would not sign it. The Commissioner said the employers' assessors came to the council, giving it to be understood that they represented the "trade," and they undertook to see whether some agreement could not be come to as to hours, wages, and preference, but now they wanted the old award. , He did not believe that was the opinion of the ; "trade." .

Mr. Beveridge: I'm sure it is. : The Commissioner said he did not think so. .It had been suggested R> him that influence had been brought to bear upon the "trade." - Mr. Beveridge objected to this remark and asked for names. The Commissioner said he would give them. In regard to the dispute he could only refer it to the Court, and he believed tho Court would refer it back to him again. Unions Will "Put up a Fight." Mr. Carey expressed, regret that no eettloment had been reached. He believed the Commissioner,- in reporting the case to the Court, would state that the union, or federation o£ unions, had done all that was possible to get the matter settled by conciliation. The "trade" depended to a £reat extent upon the workers, and no doubt the workers would give consideration to; it. Supposing that the "trade" was in such a languishing condition, were the workers to suffer for that? The "trade" had two alternatives—to raise the tariffs, or fo continue to . get it out of the women workers and fcullerjroen at 225. 6d. a week. "We are going to put up a fight," he added, "and if the 'trado' beat us, it will be to their oredit." 'Che orooeedinss then terminated